Autism Symptoms

Recognizing the early signs of autism and seeking early intervention services and treatment improves the outcomes of learning, social skills, and communication in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Children with autism generally have problems in three crucial areas of development — social interaction, language and behavior.

Though each child with autism is likely to have a unique pattern of behavior, some common autism symptoms include:

Social Skills

Fails to respond to his or her name

Has poor eye contact

Appears not to hear you at times

Resists cuddling and holding

Appears unaware of others’ feelings

Seems to prefer playing alone — retreats into his or her own world

Doesn’t ask for help or request things

Language

Doesn’t speak or has delayed speech

Loses previously acquired ability to say words or sentences

Doesn’t make eye contact when making requests

Speaks with an abnormal tone or rhythm — may use a singsong voice or robot-like speech

Can’t start a conversation or keep one going

May repeat words or phrases verbatim, but doesn’t understand how to use them

Doesn’t appear to understand simple questions or direction

Behavior

Performs repetitive movements, such as rocking, spinning or hand-flapping

Develops specific routines or rituals and becomes disturbed at the slightest change

Moves constantly

May be fascinated by details of an object, such as the spinning wheels of a toy car, but doesn’t understand the “big picture” of the subject

May be unusually sensitive to light, sound and touch, and yet oblivious to pain

Does not engage in imitative or make-believe play

May have odd food preferences, such as eating only a few foods, or craving items that are not food, such as chalk or dirt

May perform activities that could cause self-harm, such as head banging

If you would like to speak with one of our therapists about a treatment plan for your child with autism, please contact us for a free consultation.

References: Mayo Clinic

Kid's Creek Therapy is a specialized pediatric rehabilitation clinic offering
speech, occupational, and physical therapy services for children with special needs.